Key takeaways

Talk to the business association of the area you are moving or setting up your business - they can give you useful demographic and expenditure information.

When you first open at your new location, ask the business association to use their social media networks to announce your arrival.

If you are moving to a new area or town, one of the first things business owners should do before signing a lease is check out the local business association to see how supportive they are of existing and incoming businesses.

What does it do for new businesses coming to the area, what networking events does it have and does it advocate for the local business community?

One of the largest ones in Auckland, the Parnell Business Association (PBA) looks after a broad range of 1100 businesses, from interior décor stores to ad agencies, to business growth incubators.

General Manager Cheryl Adamson recommends businesses get in touch with her business association before even choosing premises.

“We know the commercial agents and we release an annual prospectus for Parnell with recent demographics which is useful for incoming businesses,” she says.

Natalie Rose Bridal exterior, credit Together Journal.jpeg

What to expect when you first arrive in Parnell

A good business association will help small businesses with their profile when they first arrive, says the GM.

In Parnell, they will be welcomed and introduced by the business association online, to all the other local businesses, says Cheryl.

“We might flag that a new cafe has opened and feature their menus, it will give their social media info and generally give the business a whole plug,” says the GM.

The PBA has an established following on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn - plus has 18000 people and businesses on the database, she says.

The business association also helps with networking and learning opportunities.

“Our networking events are usually held at a business’s premises,” says Cheryl, and the PBA will subsidise them.

Your business association will be advocating for you

Business associations like the PBA play an advocacy role for business owners.

“We advocate on matters including taking care of the streetscape, tagging, dumped rubbish and crime prevention,” says Cheryl.

The business association also has a closed WhatsApp group which enables around 300 retailers and others to give an early alert to others about any anti-social behaviour they may have seen in their store.

How the Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association supports members

The Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association (APBA) is an integrated tourism and business model - a combination of chamber of commerce and tourism destination marketing association, says manager Nicky Busst.

The Arrowtown association has around 160 members whose make-up has changed quite a lot in the last four years with more professional services companies and a growing artist community.

Maintaining the right mix of stores in this pretty historical Otago town which won NZ’s most beautiful small town in 2020 and 2023, is a delicate balance, says Nicky.

Arrowtown Main Street Photo Credit Martin Sliva.jpg

“We have a huge network of people who want to come into Arrowtown from bookshops and barbers to nail bars,” she says.

The intel that a business association can provide

The ABPA can offer useful insights to businesses coming in.

“We have visitation and expenditure statistics, broken down by local and visitor spend, we know about 70% of visitors who go to Queenstown visit Arrowtown,” says Nicky.

It is disappointing when a new store opens replacing something that has failed and they haven’t done their research as to why, she says.

“We can help them understand what worked and what hasn’t.”

The Arrowtown association has recently launched a new website with a members’ portal where business owners can go to find newsletters, marketing, visitor expenditure and forecasting.

“Every business is listed by an “eat drink play shop” category and when a new business joins, it’s our role to support them and the town. When they first arrive we do a push for them and on social media,” says the APBA manager.

The APBA runs business events and workshops including Lunch & Learn 30 minute sessions designed to foster knowledge and connection.

For the full version of the article go here

Where do I find startup funding in NZ?

Am I missing something?

Physical vs Digital

Is your business association helping you to thrive and survive?